The U.S. Department of Justice is currently planning to merge two of its subsidiary agencies, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in an effort to enhance resource efficiency, avoid overlapping conflicts in cases, and improve regulatory effectiveness.
This move is part of a broad-scale initiative by the Trump administration to streamline federal agencies.
According to Associated Press reports, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is seeking feedback and suggestions from the subsidiary agencies on the restructuring plan, with a deadline for responses set for April 2.
The ATF is responsible for investigating violent crimes, gun trafficking, arson, and bomb-related cases, as well as providing technical expertise to trace crime guns and analyze shooting investigation intelligence. On the other hand, the DEA is tasked with enforcing national drug laws, focusing on combating drug crime networks and preventing the illegal distribution of fentanyl and other street drugs.
Currently, FBI Director Kash Patel is serving as the Acting Director of the ATF.
The gun control organization Giffords has expressed opposition to this merger proposal, arguing that it would diminish ATF’s resources and effectively “strip police of funding… making it impossible for them to effectively combat gun traffickers, illegal straw purchasers, and illicit gun dealers.”